Janice Posted November 5, 2010 Report Share Posted November 5, 2010 A customer brought a quilt to me that has a panel in the center of the backing and then two borders around it. It is like a picture frame. She has, also, has a fused on design of birds & flowers on the lower left side . She wants me to center the panel & borders on the back of the quilt. Her backing was the same size as the quilt so I have added more fabric to all of it. Does anyone have any suggestions to make this easy and turn out looking nice? I am not very experienced and do very few quilts for others. I want to make this nice for her. Help! Thanks Janice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustSewSimple Posted November 5, 2010 Report Share Posted November 5, 2010 I tell my customers NOT to do that. I tell them I will not be able to positively center anything as I can't see the back or adjust the back once I get started. Good luck. You may be able to make it work out perfectly but it is almost unfair to ask us to consider back panels, I think. Just me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted November 5, 2010 Report Share Posted November 5, 2010 You have more than one problem here, Janice. The top and backer started out the same size. You added fabric all around to extend the back so you can load and clamp it. The original backer now is SMALLER than the quilt top--less the seam allowances all around. You can load the edge of the top right up against the seam of the backer/extension and quilt to the bottom. Float the top so the thickness of the batting will suck up some of the top area as you quilt, and when you reach the bottom you should have a scant amount of backer left. Thus, centering the panel will not be much of an issue since there isn't much that can go wrong from top to bottom of the quilt. The sides are another issue--if you pieced fabric extensions to the sides, you are now a half-inch (maybe more) short of backer across the width. Let your customer know that you will not be able to quilt to the edges--otherwise you will be within the seam allowance of the extensions. Did that make sense? It's like taking two sheets of paper that are the same size and gluing paper strips all around the edges to make the bottom paper larger. That overlap of paper makes for unusable edges on the top paper. Here is a hint for those who get quilts where the backer is too small. Never let your customer add a narrow strip to just one side to extend the backer. The majority of times, that narrow strip will run unevenly across the backer after quilting due to many issues--poor piecing, stretched fabric, that parallelogram thing that happens with wide backs, etc. Sometimes the quilting will cross that seam line of the added fabric and it's hellish to apply the binding over that seam. Recommend that they piece another fabric within the backer--away from the edges. It is more work, but they will be happier and I guarantee that you will be too! It's not necessary that the extra be in the center, just away from the edges. Good luck and let us know how it all worked out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisae Posted November 5, 2010 Report Share Posted November 5, 2010 Hi, Janice, Darlene Epp taught us how to do this in a longarm class. Let's see if I can explain it correctly... Lay your quilt back and top, wrong sides together, on the floor or a large table where you can spread them out. Mark both the top and the back at the center of the sides, then every 10 inches or so on both sides of the quilt top and back. You will have markings on the top and the back up and down both sides. I would use a flower head pin or something you will be able to see on the back as well as the front. Load your quilt as usual. As you quilt, match up your markings on the sides of the quilt. On this particular quilt, I would start with the fused design on the back at the top of the frame, essentially working from bottom to top if you can. It sounds like a lot of work, but it can be done! Hope this makes sense! Maybe Darlene will pop in and explain it better than I have! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisae Posted November 5, 2010 Report Share Posted November 5, 2010 Originally posted by ffq-lar The original backer now is SMALLER than the quilt top--less the seam allowances all around. Good point, Linda!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave-Jane Posted November 6, 2010 Report Share Posted November 6, 2010 If you explain to the customer the dilemma, and that you've researched with the experts, and the solution ,( is take all everyone's wonderful advice), and maybe ask, if there is enough border there, to whack some, say an inch all the way around to give you some fudge factor. Did I say whack, I meant skillfully thin the border area. Take Care---Grasshopper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmcclannan Posted November 6, 2010 Report Share Posted November 6, 2010 Grasshopper gives wise counsel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janice Posted November 6, 2010 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2010 Wow, you all gave me some good suggestions. I am excited about trying to do this quilt. I love a challenge. My dh thinks I am crazy. What does he know? The quilt has large birds and flowers fused on the front . It, also, has large borders with some birds and flowers fused on them. I have to stitch all of the fused parts down. She wants some gold metallic thread used on it. I will let you know how it goes. thanks, Janice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave-Jane Posted November 6, 2010 Report Share Posted November 6, 2010 Wow Janice, quite a job to take on! I , we would love to see this when you're done. I'll give you my saying for things like this: just remember, when you're up to your butt in alligators, it's hard to remember the initial objective was to drain the swamp!(I've been using this a lot lately) So take your time step by step and make it a wonderful learning as well as a great business experience. If she gives you that extra inch to remove I don't know if I'd do it first or trim it when the quit is done. I think to keep things on an even keel I'd tend to trim it later. Then maybe you won't have to trim as much and have some added fudge factor while sewing it. What do you all think??----Dave B. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janice Posted November 6, 2010 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2010 Dave, She has put a fused design about an inch from the side border. There isn't much room to trim. I thiink I am going to trim when it is all done. I know, somewhere on this site, I saw a quilt with mitered corners and a crosshatch design. Does anyone know where I could find it or could someone draw a picture of how it is done? The borders are so wide, I have traced the bird design and I am going to quilt it in the corners that don't have a fused design. I know, I am in over my butt and with alligators. Thanks, Janice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted November 6, 2010 Report Share Posted November 6, 2010 Great attitude, Janice!! You will learn a lot from this and never be afraid to tackle a challenge. It will also help you with future customers--- you can educate them by telling of your experience when they wonder why you are charging them $50 extra for the PITA factor! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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